Peak oil is the point in time when the maximum rate of petroleum extraction is reached, after which the rate of production is expected to enter terminal decline. Many geologists and the International Energy Agency say the world's crude oil output reached its peak in 2006.

While there may be less oil coming out of the ground, the demand for it certainly continues to rise.

Al Jazeera:

The final episode of this series explores what happens when oil becomes more and more inaccessible, while at the same time, new powers like China and India try to fulfill their growing energy needs.

And countries like Iran, while suffering international sanctions, have welcomed these new oil buyers, who put business ahead of lectures on human rights and nuclear ambitions.

At the same time, oil-producing countries have had enough with the Seven Sisters controlling their oil assets. Nationalization of oil reserves around the world has ushered in a new generation of oil companies all vying for a slice of the oil pie.

These are the new Seven Sisters.

Saudi Arabia's Saudi Aramco, the largest and most sophisticated oil company in the world; Russia's Gazprom, a company that Russia's President Vladimir Putin wrested away from the oligarchs; The China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC), which, along with its subsidiary, Petrochina, is the world's second largest company in terms of market value; The National Iranian Oil Company, which has a monopoly on exploration, extraction, transportation and exportation of crude oil in Iran – OPEC's second largest oil producer after Saudi Arabia; Venezuela's PDVSA, a company the late president Hugo Chavez dismantled and rebuilt into his country's economic engine and part of his diplomatic arsenal; Brazil's Petrobras, a leader in deep water oil production, that pumps out 2 million barrels of crude oil a day; and Malaysia's Petronas - Asia's most profitable company in 2012.

Primarily state-owned, the new Seven Sisters control a third of the world's oil and gas production, as well as a third of the world's reserves. The old Seven Sisters, by comparison, produce a tenth of the world's oil, and their control has dwindled to only three percent of the reserves.

The balance has shifted.

This short film chronicles the events of September 25 to 29 in Madrid, Spain, where tens of thousands of people have taken to the streets to demand the resignation of the government and an end to police brutality. Many of the protests ended in clashes with the police. Since the stand off began, the images of police brutality have travelled the world over, shocking and inspiring people across Europe and leading to an international day of action on September 29. This film tells the story of why so many people took to the streets and follows these events as they unfolded.

H/T RightWingWatch for the video.

During a recent episode of Pat Robertson's "The 700 Club," a woman who had adopted three children from three different foreign nations wrote in seeking dating advice. She explained that she's having a difficult time finding a man who will date her after she tells him about the children.

Robertson replied in his typical most compassionate of conservatives fashion.

"A man doesn't want to take on the United Nations, and this woman's got all these various children and blended family. What is it?," said Robertson. He then explained how a "dear friend" of his who adopted a child from Colombia who turned out to have brain damage. "You just never know what's been done to a child before you get that child," he said. "What kind of sexual abuse, what kind of cruelty, what kind of food deprivation, et cetera."

Robertson's statement typifies everything that's wrong with the Republican party today. They demand that every fetus be brought to term no matter what, because of the "sanctity of life." Yet when these children are finally born? That's not their problem.

As I posted earlier, George Carlin hits the nail on the head here:

"Boy, these conservatives are really something, aren't they? They're all in favor of the unborn. They will do anything for the unborn. But once you're born, you're on your own. Pro-life conservatives are obsessed with the fetus from conception to nine months. After that, they don't want to know about you. They don't want to hear from you. No nothing. No neonatal care, no day care, no head start, no school lunch, no food stamps, no welfare, no nothing. If you're pre-born, you're fine; if you're preschool, you're f*cked."

But, that "United Nations" comment from Robertson also smacks of racism. Now I don't believe for a moment that if the adopted children had been "white" he would've been any more approving. It just makes him more reprehensible.

RT's Anastasia Churkina talks to Occupy activist and war veteran Scott Olsen on the state of affairs in the U.S. today, and the changes that have taken place since the beginning of the Occupy Wall Street movement.

"Most likely people are either going to vote for Democrats or Republicans and I think both those are wrong choices. They are both working for the same system, they are both taking money from the same people, from the same banks and you can see in their policy that they are rewarding their donors. Voting for the continuing of this policy is not going to change anything at all," explains Olsen.

On alternatives in the coming election, Olsen said "You can vote for the third party that may not win. You may count voting for the third party as a waste of vote, but I think voting for a Democrat or a Republican is a waste of vote. You are shooting yourself in the foot if you are voting for either of those."

A great conversation with Scott Olsen. He talks about war, being a veteran, homeless veterans and the tragedy of 18 military veterans daily committing suicide in the U.S.

You'll also hear Scott's thoughts on the Occupy movement, and what's ahead for Occupy Wall Street now that it's approaching its first anniversary.

A full transcript follows below the fold...

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